As an owner of a Kia Spectra5, I couldn't disagree more. I think they are fantastic cars, and I actually did a significant amount of research, decided on the Spectra5, and then spent several months hunting for a manual transmission. For the price, I think they are an exceptional value (precisely because the anti Kia attitude demonstrated by some of the previous posters drives the price down). I've had mine for over 2 years (it's a 2008 with 77k miles), and have had no problems with it. If I remember correctly, they upgraded some of the features in 2007, so I was looking for one that year or later.
The maintenance on it is simple, and much of it is easy to do yourself if you enjoy that kind of thing. Additionally, the stick shift is incredibly fun to drive. You won't win any races, but the Spectra5 has great suspension and handling, and the acceleration is reasonably responsive. After 2 years, I still enjoy getting into it every time.